Last night was the WHS Theater Department’s debut performance of their spring musical, Smile.
Originally released on Broadway in 1986, the show follows a fictional Miss America pageant set in 1985, run by a former Miss California and Miss America third-place finisher, where 16 high school seniors try to win a college scholarship.
Although it was widely considered to be a flop on Broadway, one of the original creators, Howard Ashman, reworked the musical into its current and more improved state.
The show was selected for this year’s spring musical not only due to the female majority within the Theater Department, but also due to the show’s relevant themes. “Both The Madwoman of Chaillot in the fall and [Smile] now, are about women who are promising what they can do if someone would only allow them to lead,” said Theater Director Daniel Devlin.
The musical also focuses on the American idea of success, as it challenges the stereotypical idea of what success can and should look like for each individual.
Junior Kelsey Dix, who plays pageant contender Doria Hudson, said, “It’s okay if you don’t win, it’s okay if you’re not the winner in every situation. You can just be yourself and be okay with who you are.”
“It’s a message that holds up today and I think will continue to hold up in the future. The audience will really gain a lot from watching it,” said actor and Assistant Musical Director senior Garrett Gao.
The Theater Department has been preparing the show since Jan. 2, and has faced many complex challenges with production.
Due to the loss of staff from retirement and the budget cuts from 2022, both the senior designer and technical director are no longer working with the WHS Theater Department, leaving the students to take on the responsibilities of these important positions.
These losses have been impacting the Theater Department since the fall and have made it increasingly harder for the crew to find time to work on the production.
Co-Head of Set Design senior Riley Whitlock said, “During the fall production, we didn’t really get a person in time, so we didn’t actually have a supervisor. So [we] had to figure out how we would have time to get on stage, because we’re not allowed to be at the school unless we have an adult supervisor for safety reasons.”
Despite this, the cast and crew managed to overcome these issues to produce a show that they are proud of.
The show is fun in nature, filled with lively performances and choreography. Senior Nadia Rego, who plays pageant head Brenda DiCarlo, said, “It’s a really fun time. Watching all of the dancers in this show is so amusing; you can’t take your eyes off of the choreography. We have people dancing on pointe shoes, ventriloquism, tap dancing and we have a girl who does a backflip. It’s crazy.”
“There are 36 students on stage, and then probably another 60 to 70 backstage. So, it’s about 100 people, and you’re not going to see the show anywhere else. So, if you want to see Smile, you have to come here [to see it],” said Devlin.
Tickets for the March 21 and 22 performances at 7:30 p.m. are still available and can be purchased for $17 at wpsvpa.booktix.com.